Jun 4, 2012

How to deal with pain in Arthritis?

Persons
living with arthritis or a related condition often live with pain
which is one of the hardest factors experienced with the disease. In
order to know how to combat the pain you must learn to manage the
disease. The first consideration to determine is which type of
arthritis the patient has. Knowing the particular arthritis will
help to determine the patient’s treatment. Before you begin to
develop a treatment plan, you must understand some concepts regarding
pain.

Not
all pain is alike

Pain
experienced by arthritis patients is not always the same. There are
many different types of pain just as there are many different types
of arthritis and not all patients will respond the same to treatment.
It may be necessary to try several different treatments before
finding one that works for the patient.

Why
pain occurs…

Pain
occurs because it is telling us that something is wrong. When an
injury is experienced, nerves in the area where the injury originated
release chemical signals and other nerves transmit the signals to the
brain. Pain is a sign that something is wrong and you need to act.
For example, if you touch a hot plate, your brain immediately
receives the signals and forces you to let go of the plate. This
form of pain is a protection that helps keep you safe.

Long-lasting
pain, such as that experienced with conditions such as fibromyalgiaor arthritis is a different type of pain. While the pain is alerting
the body that something is wrong, it is not as easy to relieve the
pain. This type of pain can be debilitating to the patient and must
be managed to enhance the patient’s sense of well-being and quality
of life.

What
controls pain?

The
brain and spinal cord includes a system of nerves in which pain
signals travel through. The body often tries to intercept these
signals to stop them. This is done by creating chemicals that
interfere or block the signals. These chemicals are termed
endorphins, and are morphine-like substances, killing the pain and
decreasing the pain sensation.

Inflammation:
Is the process that is responsible for causing swelling and redness
in the joints of the patient.

Injury
to joint tissues: This is a
result of pressure, injury, stress or the disease process on the
joints of the patient.

Body
fatigue: Is a result of the
disease process, which can make the pain intensified and more
difficult to handle.

Mental
depression or stress:
Arthritis patients often have limited movement and are no longer able
to enjoy various activities making depression a serious factor in the
disease. The patient can become wrapped up in a vicious circle of
pain, stress, depression and a limited or loss of abilities making
the management of pain more difficult.

What
increases the pain associated with arthritis?

Depression

Anxiety

Fatigue

Focusing
on pain

Overdoing
physical activity

Stress

Increased
disease activity

What
reduces the pain associated with arthritis?

Cold
and heat treatments

Humor

Topical
pain relievers

Distraction

Massage

Medications

Relaxation

Appropriate
exercise

Positive
attitude and pleasant thoughts

How
to control arthritis pain at home

Thermotherapy
(Temperature therapy)

Stiffness
and pain of arthritis can be reduced by using heat and cold
treatments. Placing cold pack on the affected area will help to numb
the area and to reduce the swelling and inflammation. Cold packs are
particularly useful for joint pain due to a flare up. With heat,
muscles relax and stimulate the blood circulation. Heating lamps and
heating pads are forms of dry heat; where as, baths and heated wash
cloths are forms of moist heat. Both of which are useful.

Sleep
therapy

When
our bodies sleep, they are restoring energy. With arthritis patients
this helps to manage the pain. Sleep therapy also helps to reduce
the pressure on the joints and helps to decrease swelling and pain.
The average person needs seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If
you feel sleepy at various times throughout the day, take a brief
nap. If you have trouble sleeping through the night, then avoid the
nap and relax quietly during the day.

Massage
therapy

Massaging
your muscles brings relief to the painful area. Massage therapy can
be done by yourself or a profession. If you are massaging yourself
then:

Stop
if you begin to experience pain

Don’t
massage joints that are extremely painful or swollen

Use
oil or lotion to help the massaging technique

Relaxation
therapy

Relaxation
therapy does help to reverse the pain associated with arthritis and
allows the patient to have a sense of well-being and control their
life. It is vital that the patient learn ways to control and calm
the mind and body. There are various methods that are used to help
patients relax such as:

Hypnosis:
Hypnosis is a deep
relaxation technique which is intended to help the patient release
themselves from their anxieties and thoughts. The technique is
pleasant and soothing and effective in relieving pain.

Guided
imagery: This technique
utilizes pleasant images which the mind focuses on to help guide away
from the pain. Prayer is
very relaxing and comforting for some people.

Herbal
therapy:

The
herbal supplements works by removing the primary cause of the pain,
which with arthritis inflammation and stiffness, and helps to ease
the arthritis symptoms.